This invention relates to touch sensitive panels used in electronic devices, such as computers, hand held PDAs and radiotelephones.

Touch sensitive panels, referred to as “input screens” herein, are widely used for hand held devices, including personal digital assistants (PDAs), radiotelephones and other hand held wireless devices. An input screen with a resistive overlay (e.g., indium tin oxide) includes upper and lower transparent input layers positioned above a display screen, where each input layer includes two electrodes and a sequence of parallel electrically resistive paths between the two electrodes. When a user uses a stylus or other appendage to touch the input screen at a selected location, the upper and lower input layers contact each other, generating a signal that identifies an x-coordinate (horizontal) and a y-coordinate (vertical) for the contact point (touched location) relative to the display screen image. A conventional input screen requires at least four wires, one for each electrode, to transfer location information signals from electrode to a signal processor that analyzes these signals. A conventional input screen will group all four wires as a unit and will route the wires along several edges of the input screen to the appropriate electrode. The device usually has one relatively inflexible tail that includes the four wires. This tail is usually bulky and requires provision of additional room around the input screen in which to fit the tail.

One result of this approach is that presence of the tail requires provision of a relatively large, non-usable, referred to herein as a “routing zone”, on one or two sides of the four sides of the input screen, to provide room for the tail. A second result of this approach is that the portion of the device housing that surrounds the input screen is non-symmetric, being noticeably wider on one or two sides than on the opposite side(s). A third result is that the key area or active area (bounded by the four electrodes; the region where the alphanumeric characters and graphics appear on the display screen) is reduced substantially, often by as much as 10-14 percent, relative to the input screen key area that would be available if the four-wire tail were not present. A fourth result of this approach is that the tail, when received within the device housing, is relatively inflexible and cannot be easily reconfigured to fit into the routing zone for wiring of the input screen and other components.

Many of the input screen systems rely on alternatingly switching off (isolating) and switching on one of the two pairs of opposed electrodes, in order to estimate the currents present at the input screen contact point. An example of this approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,734, issued to Pepper and incorporated by reference herein. Provision of electrode switching requires more complexity in the signal processor and associated hardware used to estimate the (x,y) coordinates of the input screen contact point. Electrode switching also requires that the electronics system be allowed to re-settle (in a time estimated to be μsec to msec) before another current measurement may be taken.

What is needed is an approach that (1) does not require switching of electrodes in order to determine the (x,y) coordinates of the input screen contact point, (2) does not require provision of a settling time before one or more current measurements can be made, (3) has a simpler construction than man of the prior art input screen systems, (4) allows use of arbitrary resistance values for the resistive lines used on each of the upper and lower input layers, (5) allows use of two wires, three wires or four wires connecting the electrodes and upper and lower input layers to a signal processor used to determine the contact point coordinates, (6) allows an increase in the size of the input screen key area or active area, (7) allows a reduction in one or more dimensions of a hand held computing device that employs this input screen system, and (8) allows the key area to appear in a symmetric and more pleasing arrangement as part of the device housing.

These needs are met by the invention, which provides a method and system for providing a input screen in which a current and a voltage, or two currents, are measured adjacent to electrodes or other electrical contact points having substantially constant (unswitched) voltages. Resistance values associated with two resistive line segments that extend from an input screen contact point to the four electrodes are then determined, and (x,y) coordinates for the contact point are determined. Electrode voltage switching is not performed, and the total number of wires required to be connected to the input layers is three, including two wires that provide voltages for the electrodes. The total resistance value for resistive lines extending from one electrode to an opposed electrode is arbitrarily chosen.

One benefit of this invention is simplicity: no voltage switching is required, and hence no voltage and current settling times need be provided. Another simplification is use of three wires: the routing surrounding the input screen key area is smaller, the size of the input screen key area can be made larger, one or more dimensions (length and/or width) of the device housing for a hand held computing device with input screen can be reduced without increasing another dimension, and the key area may have a symmetric and more pleasing arrangement relative to the remainder of the device housing. The software and/or firmware used by the signal processor to determine the (x,y) coordinates of the input screen contact point is somewhat more complex, but the computations need only be done once for each new contact point chosen.

In a first embodiment, the resistive lines in each of the first and second input layers are connected at a first end to a selected voltage source and are allowed to “float” at a second end. The resistive lines for the second input layer are connected across a selected resistor to the second voltage source, which may be ground or some other selected voltage value. This embodiment requires only two electrodes, not four. A current is measured from the first input layer electrode to an electrical contact point, where a resistive line from each of the first and second input layers contact each other, as a result of touching the screen with a stylus, finger or other appendage. Voltage at the contact point is also measured. From these two measurements, the resistance value for each of the two resistive line segments (horizontal and vertical) that connect the contact point to the voltage source for that input layer are calculated, and the corresponding (x,y) coordinates for the contact point are determined.

In a second embodiment, the resistive lines in each input layer are connected between a first voltage source and a second (lower) voltage source. The contact point voltage and a current in one of the four resistive line segments (between a voltage source and the contact point) are measured. From these two measurements, the resistance value for each of two resistive line segments (horizontal and vertical) that connect the contact point to a voltage source are calculated, and the corresponding (x,y) coordinates for the contact point are determined. Each of these two embodiments requires a current measurement, a voltage measurement and a wire for each of two voltage sources.

FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 are schematic views of input screen systems suitable for practising the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for practising the invention.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates components of an input screen system 11 suitable for practising the invention. The system 11 illustrated in FIG. 1 includes two electrodes, 13-j (j-1, 2), maintained at selected voltages Vj, where it is assumed without loss of generality that V1=V_dd>V2=V_g, where V_g may be, but need not be, a ground voltage. The system 11 also includes two input layers, 15 (upper) and 16 (lower), not explicitly shown in FIG. 1, parallel to and separated from each other by a small gap of selected size d=0.03-0.2 mm. The input layer 15 is preferably flexible and contains a first sequence of closely spaced, electrically resistive lines 15-k 1 (k1=1, 2, . . . , K1) that do not cross one another and that extend from the first electrode 13-1 to a floating or no-current (NC) terminal through which no current can flow. The resistive lines 15- k 1 may be, but need not be, straight line segments that are parallel to each other. The input layer 16 contains a second sequence of closely spaced, electrically resistive lines 16-k 2 (k2=1, 2, . . . , K2) that do not cross one another and that extend from the second electrode 13-2 to a floating or no-current (NC) terminal through which no current can flow. The resistive lines 16- k 2 may be, but need not be, straight line segments that are parallel to each other. Each resistive line 15- k 1 has the same selected resistance value Rx, and each resistive line 16- k 2 as the same resistance value Ry, where Rx and Ry are independently chosen. The lengths of the resistive lines 15- k 1 and 16- k 2 are selected lengths, Lx and Ly, respectively, in the appropriate length units. The first voltage source 13-1 is connected to the group of resistive lines 15- k 1 by a first resistor having a selected resistance value R1. The second voltage source 13-2 is connected to the group of resistive lines 16- k 2 by a second resistor having a selected resistance value R2. Either or both of the selected resistance values, R1 and R2, can be 0. However, if R1=R2=0, the current from the voltage source 13-1 to the voltage source 13-2 may be more than can be tolerated (e.g., milliamps or higher). Preferably, at least one of the selected resistance values, R1 and R2, is in the kilo-ohm range or higher.

At least one resistive line 15- k 1 and at least one resistive line 16- k 2 make electrical contact with each other at an electrical contact point C (with as-yet unknown coordinates (x,y)), when a stylus, finger or other appendage is used to touch the screen at the contact point C. The voltage Vc at the contact point is measured, and the current i in one of the resistive line segments, r1 or r2, is measured. The resistance values r1 and r2 are determined by the relations

V1−Vc=(R1+r1)·i,  (1)

Vc−V2=(R2+r2)·i,  (2)

or

r1=(V1−Vc−R1 ·i)/i,  (3)

r2=(Vc−V2−R2·i)/i.  (4)

Note that either or both of the resistance values, R1 and R2, may be 0. This embodiment requires two measurements (Vc and i) and requires only three wires, for example, connected to V1, to V2 and to a voltage sensor for the contact point voltage Vc.

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates components of an input screen system 21′ suitable for practising the invention. The system 21 illustrated in FIG. 3 includes four electrodes, 23-j (j=1, 2, 3, 4), maintained at selected voltages Vj, where it is assumed without loss of generality that V1>V3 and that V2>V4 so that the cross-panel voltages V1−V3 and V2−V4 are non-zero. The system 21 also includes two input layers, 25 (upper) and 26 (lower), parallel and separated from each other by a small gap of selected size d=0.03-0.2 mm. The upper input layer is preferably flexible and contains a first sequence of closely spaced, electrically resistive lines 25-k 1 (k1=1, 2, . . . , K1) that do not cross one another and that extend from the first electrode 23-1 to the third electrode 23-3. The resistive lines 25- k 1 may be, but need not be, straight line segments that are parallel to each other. The lower input layer contains a second sequence of closely spaced, electrically resistive lines 26-k 2 (k2=1, 2, . . . , K2) that do not cross one another and that extend from the second electrode 23-2 to the fourth electrode 23-4. The resistive lines 26- k 2 may be, but need not be, straight line segments that are parallel to each other. Each resistive line 25- k 1 has the same selected resistance value Rx, and each resistive line 26- k 2 as the same resistance value Ry. The lengths of the resistive lines 25- k 1 and 26- k 2 are selected lengths, Lx and Ly, respectively, in the appropriate length units.

Voltages for the two electrodes, 23-1 and 23-2, are preferably taken from a single voltage line connected to a voltage source 27 that provides a voltage V5≧max{V1, V2, V3, V4}. A line carrying the voltage V5 is optionally received by a voltage step-down mechanism 29, such as a simple resistor step-down ladder, that provides one, two, three or four voltage output terminals having the line voltages V1, V2, V3 and V4. If, for example, the voltages V3 and V4 are both at ground voltage, which is supplied elsewhere, and V1=V2=V_dd, the voltage step-down mechanism may be eliminated and the choice V5=V1=V2 is preferred, equivalent to a single voltage output terminal.

At least one resistive line 25- k 1 and at least one resistive line 26- k 2 make electrical contact with each other at an electrical contact point C (with as-yet unknown coordinates (x,y)), when a stylus, finger or other appendage is used to touch the screen at the contact point C. Four resistive line segments beginning at the contact point C and ending at the first, second, third and fourth electrodes 23-j have the respective resistances, r1, r2, r3 and r4,as shown. These four resistive line segments have associated currents i1, i2, i3 and i4. For the configuration shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the defining equations are developed in an Appendix.

In one approach, the voltage Vc at the contact point and one selected current, for example, i3 or i4, are measured, and the remaining unknown quantities are determined as follows.

i1=i2(i3·Rx+V1)/(i4·Ry+V1)=Num/Denom,  (A24)

Num=−i4(i3+i4)(i3·Rx+V1)(Vc+i3·Ry),  (A25)

Denom={(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry)}(i4·Ry+V1),  (A26)

i2=−i4(i3+i4)(Vc+i3·Ry)/{(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry),  (A23)

i4(i3·Rx+V1)(i3·Ry+Vc)−i4(i4 ·Ry+V1)(i3·Ry+Vc)−(i3·Rx+V1){(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry)}=0,  (A29)

where these relations correspond to the equation numbers i the Appendix.

The resistances r1 and r2 are then determined by

r1(13,15)=i2(i3·Rx−i4·Ry)/(i1+i2)(i1+i3),  (A16)

r2(13,15)=i1(i3 Rx−i4 Ry)/(i1+i2)(i1+i3),  (A17)

or by

 r1(14,16)={i2(i4 ·Ry+V1)−i4(i3·Rx+V1)}/(i3+i1)(i3+i2),  (A18)

r2(14,16)={i1(i3·Rx+V1)−i3(i4·Ry+V1)}/(i3+i1)(i3+i2).  (A19)

One current value is measured and two of the remaining three current values are calculated here, because Eq. (A21) provides the fourth current value.

In a third embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4, the voltage source V3 is floating and is a no-current (NC) source, where i3=0. The current i1 or the current i2 is measured, and the other of these currents is determined using Eq.(A36), Eq. (37) or Eq. (38) in the Appendix, and the current i4 is determined using Eq. (A30). The resistances r1, r2, r3 and r4, insofar as these are needed, are determined using Eqs. (A1), (A2), (A31) and (A32).

The resistive lines 15- k 1 and 16- k 2, and the resistive lines 25- k 1 and 26- k 2, are assumed to have uniformly distributed resistances per unit length and to have the respective lengths Lx and Ly. Assuming that the touch screen coordinates x and y are measured from an origin O located in the lower left corner of the first and second input layers, the screen coordinates are determined b the relations

x=r1·Lx/Rx,  (5)

y=r2·Ly/R,  (6)

for the first embodiment, second embodiment and third embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating practice of the invention. In step 51, two voltage sources with selected voltages V_dd and V_g are provided for the input layers, with V_g<V_dd. In step 53, the system receives or provides measurements of the contact point voltage Vc and of a selected current in a selected resistive line segment. In step 55 (second embodiment only), at least two of the remaining three current values (second embodiment), or at least one of the remaining three current values (third embodiment), for the resistive line segment are calculated, using, for example, the analysis set forth in the Appendix. In step 57, the resistance values, r1 and r2, are calculated, using the current values and relations developed in the Appendix. In step 59, the (x,y) coordinates of the contact point C on the touch screen are calculated, using Eqs. (5) and (6).

In each embodiment, a contact voltage value Vc and a selected current value i are measured, using two voltage source wires and two measurement wires, where the voltage measurement wire and (optionally) the current measurement wire are not positioned between or adjacent to the first and second input layers. Thus, the first and second input layers have at most two wires, or at most three wires, positioned in the routing zone adjacent to the key area. The routing zone may thus be reduced in size (i.e., in width) and the key area may be correspondingly expanded.

The network 21 illustrated in FIG. 2 includes four electrodes, 23-j (j=1, 2, 3, 4) with corresponding voltages Vj, where it is assumed without loss of generality that V1>V3 and that V2>V4 so that the cross-panel voltages V1−V3 and V2−V4 are non-zero. The network 21 also includes two input layers, 25 (upper) and 26 (lower), parallel and separated from each other by a small gap of selected size d=0.03-0.2 mm. The upper input layer is preferably flexible and contains a first sequence of closely spaced, electrically resistive lines 25-k 1 (k1=1, 2, . . . , K1) that do not cross one another and that extend from the first electrode 23-1 to the third electrode 23-3. The resistive lines 25- k 1 may be, but need not be, straight line segments that are parallel to each other. The lower input layer contains a second sequence of closely spaced, electrically resistive lines 26-k 2 (k2=1, 2, . . . , K2) that do not cross one another and that extend from the second electrode 23-2 to the fourth electrode 23-4. The resistive lines 26- k 2 may be, but need not be, straight line segments that are parallel to each other. Each resistive line 26- k 1 has the same selected resistance value Rx, and each resistive line 26- k 2 as the same resistance value Ry. The lengths of the resistive lines 25- k 1 and 26- k 2 are selected lengths, Lx and Ly, respectively, in the appropriate length units.

Voltages for the four electrodes 23-j are preferably taken from a single voltage line connected to a voltage source 17 that provides a voltage V5=V_dd≧max{V1, V2, V3, V4}. The voltage signal V5 is received directly at the electrode 23-2, passes through a resistor with resistance R5 and is received at the electrode 23-1, and passes through a resistor with resistance R7 and is received at the electrode 23-3. The electrode 23-1 is grounded (V=V_g) through a resistor with resistance R6, the electrode 23-3 is grounded through a resistor with resistance R8, and the electrode 23-4 grounded. Currents i5, i6, i7 and i8, whose values are to be determined, pass through the resistors with the respective resistances R5, R6, R7 and R8, with the direction conventions shown in FIG. 1.

The resistive lines 25- k 1 and 26- k 2, for particular values of k1 and k2, are pressed together and make contact at the contact point C on the respective input layers 25 and 26. The resistive line 25- k 1 has a resistance value r1 between the electrode 23-1 and the contact point C and has a resistance value r3 between C and the electrode 23-3, where the sum

r1+r3=Rx  (A1)

is known but the individual components, r1 and r3, are unknown. The resistive line 26- k 2 has a resistance value r2 between the electrode 23-2 and C and has a resistance value r4 between C and the electrode 23-4, where the sum

r2+r4=Ry  (A2)

is known but the individual components, r2 and r4, are unknown.

Applying the Kirchoff current node and voltage loop laws for the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the following equations are satisfied:

i1+i2+i3+i4=0,  (A3)

i5=i1+i6,  (A4)

i7=i3+i8,  (A5)

i5·R5+i6·R6=V _dd −V _g,  (A6)

i7·R7+i8·R8=V _dd −V _g,  (A7)

i2·r2−i4·r4=V2−V4=V _dd −V _g,  (A8)

i1·r1−i3·r3=V1−V3=V _dd −V _g,  (A9)

The voltages V2 and V4 are known but, in this configuration, the voltages V1 and V3 would be determined by the various currents and as-yet-unknown resistance values rj (j=1, 2, 3, 4). Where min (Rx, Ry) >>max(R5, R6, R7, R8), the voltages V1 and V3 may be approximated as

V1(app)=(R6·V _dd−R5·V _g)/(R5+R6),  (A10)

V3(app)=(R8·V _dd−R7·V _g)/(R7+R8).  (A11)

The ground voltage value V_g may be set at any value satisfying V_g<V_dd, if the source voltage value is replaced by V_dd−V_g and each voltage Vj (j=1, 2, 3, 4) is replaced by Vj−V_g. For convenience, the value V_g=0 will be used here, but this is not required.

The resistance values R5 and R8 are assumed to be 0 here V4=V_g=0. This produces a network 21′ illustrated in FIG. 3. The defining equations become

i1·r1−i2·r2=0,  (A12)

i2·r2−i3(Rx−r1)=V1,  (A13)

i3(Rx−r1)−i4(Ry−r2)=0,  (A14)

i1·r1−i4(Ry−r2)=V1.  (A15)

Only three of the four equations (A12)-(A15) are independent. Equation (A14) is rearranged as

i3·r1−i4·r2−i3·Rx−i4·Ry.  (A14′)

Equations (A12) and (A14′) have formal solutions

r1(13,15)=i2(i3·Rx−i4·Ry)/(i1+i2)(i1+i3),  (A16)

r2(13,15)=i1(i3 Rx−i4 Ry)/(i1+i2)(i1+i3).  (A17)

Equations (A13) and (A15) are rearranged as

i3·r1+i2·r2=i3·Rx+V1,  (A13′)

i1·r1+i4·r2=i4·Ry+V1,  (A15′)

which have formal solutions

 r1(14,16)={i2(i4·Ry+V1)−i4(i3·Rx+V1)}/(i3+i1)(i3+i2),  (A18)

r2(14,16)={i1(i3·Rx+V1)−i3(i4·Ry+V1)}/(i3+i1)(i3+i2).  (A19)

The formal solutions r1(12,14) and r1(13,15) should have equal values. After some analysis, this equality requires that

i1(i3·Rx)+i2(i4·Ry)+V1(i1+i2)=0.  (A20)

Equality of r2(12, 14) and r2(13, 15) also leads to Eq. (20) so that no new information is obtained.

Equations (A3) and (A20) provide two expressions for the current i2 in terms of the other three currents:

i2=−(i1+i3+i4)=−i1(i3·Rx+V1)/(i4·Ry+V1).  (A21)

Using Eq. (A16), one verifies that

i1·r3=i3(Rx−r1)=−Vc=i3·Rx−(i2·i3)(i3·Rx−i4·Ry)/(i1+i2)(i1+i3)=−i3·i4(i1·Rx−i2·Ry)/(i1+i2)(i1+i3)=−i3i4(−(i2+i3+i4)·Rx−i2 Ry)/(i3+i4)(i2+i4),  (A22)

where Eq. (A21) as been applied in the numerator and in the denominator to remove explicit occurrence of the current i1. Equation (A17) yields the same result. Equation (A22) is rearranged to express the current i2 in terms of the currents i3 and i4:

i2=−i4(i3+i4)(Vc+i3·Ry)/{(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry)}.  (A23)

Equation (A20) is rearranged to express the current i1 in terms of the currents i3 and i4:.

i1=i2(i3·Rx+V1)/(i4·Ry+V1)=Num/Denom,  (A24)

Num=−i4(i3+i4)(i3·Rx+V1)(Vc+i3·Ry),  (A25)

 Denom={(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry)}(i4·Ry+V1).  (A26)

From Eqs. (A21) and (A23), one also verifies that

i2=−(i1+i3+i4)=−(Num)/(Denom)−i3−i4=−i4(i3+i4)(Vc+i3·Ry)/{(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry)}.  (A27)

Cancelling common terms in Eq. (A27) yields the relation

{(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry)}/(Vc+i3·Ry)+i4(i4·Ry+V1)/(i3·Rx+V1)=i4.  (A28)

At this point, one measures one of the current i3 and the current i4 and expresses the other of these two currents in terms of the measured current. Equation (A28) becomes a quadratic equation for the non-measured current (i3 or i4):

i4(i3·Rx+V1)(i3·Ry+Vc)−i4(i4·Ry+V1)(i3·Ry+Vc)−(i3·Rx+V1){(i3+i4)Vc+i3·i4(Rx+Ry)}=0.  (A29)

With the currents i3 and i4 determined, the currents i1 and i2 are determined using, for example, Eqs. (A24) and (A23), respectively. The resistances r1 and r2 are determined using Eqs. (A16) and (A17), or Eqs. (A18) and (A19).

The network 41 in FIG. 4, illustrating a third embodiment, is identical to the network illustrated in FIG. 3, with one difference: the node corresponding to the voltage source V4 is now a no-current (NC) node (i3=0) so that the voltage V4 is floating. As before, the contact voltage Vc is measured. The resistances r1, r2, r3 and r4 again satisfy Eqs. (A1) and (A2) and the currents i1, i2 and i4 satisfy the relation

i1+i2+i4=0.  (A30)

Equations (A12) and (A15) are valid and have the formal solutions

 r1=i2(V1+Ry·i4)/{i1(i2+i4)}  (A31)

r2=i1(V1+Ry·i4)/{i1(i2+i4)}  (A32)

One also verifies that

−r4·i4=(r2−Ry)i4=V1−Vc,  (A33)

r1·i1=r2·i2=V1−Vc.  (A34)

Equations (A31), (A32) and (A34) require that

i1·i2(V1−Ry·i4)=(V1−Vc)i1(i2+i4),  (A35)

and Eq. (A30) is applied to rewrite (A35) as a polynomial equation in the currents i1 and i2:

(i1)²{V1−Vc−Ry·i2}+i1·i2(V1−Ry·i2)=0,  (A36)

which provides a (non-zero) solution in terms of i1

i1=i2(V1−Ryi2)/{V1−Vc−Ry·i2}  (A37)

and a solution in terms of i2

(i2)²i1·Ry−i2{i1·V1−(i1)² Ry}−(i1)²(V1−Vc)=0.  (A38)

The current i1 or the current i2 (but not both) can be measured, along with the contact voltage Vc, and the remaining unknown currents among i1, i2 and i4 can be determined using Eqs. (A30) and (A36). Once the three currents are known, the resistances r1, r2, r3 and r4 can be determined using Eqs. (A1), (A2), (A31) and (A32).